How easy to pull furnace fan out?
Today my furnace fan started screaming like a banshee on startup. It howls for a few seconds then quiets down. I know I need to pull it apart and lube the bearings, if equipped, or otherwise effect...
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It is not at all hard- no need to remove the furnace at all. From the outside, remove the circuit board, black plastic fan shroud (remove fan relay to help), large squirrel cage (1/8" allen wrench), small squirrel cage (long 1/8" allen wrench through the hole in the cover), loosen bracket, pull motor (I leave the small squirrel cage in the housing and pull the motor out from it). Takes me around a half hour.
The bearings are sleeve type, permanently lubed (!). If the shaft is wobbly (and has worn), you must replace it. If it is just dry, replacement is recommended, but I have drilled a small hole in the bell end to add oil. One time I installed a new motor, had it start to squeal after a single day, so I oiled the old one (customer was leaving for the summer before i could get a replacement). It lasted most of a year until they returned the following fall.
The bearings are sleeve type, permanently lubed (!). If the shaft is wobbly (and has worn), you must replace it. If it is just dry, replacement is recommended, but I have drilled a small hole in the bell end to add oil. One time I installed a new motor, had it start to squeal after a single day, so I oiled the old one (customer was leaving for the summer before i could get a replacement). It lasted most of a year until they returned the following fall.
